


A Night to Remember

by Apparentlynotreallyfinnish



Series: Prompted ficlets [28]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-15 02:54:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20859044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apparentlynotreallyfinnish/pseuds/Apparentlynotreallyfinnish
Summary: Part of a series of prompted ficlets. Prompt: Rhett comforting Link when he cries during a sad movie.





	A Night to Remember

By all accounts, it had been a great night. They’d celebrated the last leg of their tour ending with a nice dinner and an expensive bottle of wine. Link hadn’t been in any hurry to get home, so they picked a random movie to rent. Rhett had made them some kettle corn and made Link repeatedly roll his eyes at his passionate explanation of how much better it was compared to microwaved popcorn.

They sat side by side on Rhett’s plush sectional couch, sharing a blanket even though it wasn’t that cold. The popcorn bowl was nestled between their thighs, and they kept reaching for it at the same time, making their fingers brush together, igniting sparks all over Rhett’s body. He eventually had to stop it because Link sighed and frowned at him after yet another purposefully accidental grace.

Rhett lost interest in the movie pretty early on and was instead distracted by the way Link’s delicate fingers picked up popcorn one by one and brought them to his parted lips. His lips quickly gathered a shiny film of oil and tiny crystals of salt; in the artificial light of the movie, he looked wholly otherworldly. Rhett tried not to stare, but it was beginning to be impossible.

As much as Rhett was staring, it still took him a while to notice that Link was crying. It only dawned on him when one tear rolled down to the corner of Link’s mouth, and he quickly licked it away. Rhett’s gaze whipped to Link’s eyes which were glistening with tears.

“Link?” Rhett asked quietly.

Link turned away from Rhett. He managed to catch the embarrassed expression on Link’s face before he hid it from Rhett’s worried scrutiny. Link sniffled quietly, and Rhett’s hand reflexively landed on Link thigh and squeezed.

“Hey, hey. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Link mumbled and wiped his nose onto his sleeve. “Ignore me. I’m just tired.”

“Link, please. Tell me. Is it the movie?”

Rhett turned to look at the screen. He had no idea what was happening or if it could be tear-inducing. Link’s shoulders were shaking, and he kept gasping for air.

“Oh gosh, bo! C’mere,” Rhett pleaded offering his opened arms for Link, but he just shook his head vigorously.

“Just let me be. This is ridiculous.” Link’s voice was muffled by the blanket which he’d drawn up to his face to hide his tears.

Rhett picked up the bowl and moved it away. Then he shimmied himself closer to Link and awkwardly pulled him into his arms. Link fought the closeness for a moment, but then he seemingly just gave up, turned his upper body, and launched against Rhett. Link’s face was pressed against Rhett’s chest, and he held onto his shirt with tight trembling fists. Rhett pet his back slowly and whispered hushed, meaningless words with his lips pressed against Link’s hair. Link shook in his arms, and Rhett felt his shirt getting wet from his tears.

“You wanna tell me what caused this?” Rhett asked when Link seemed to be calming down a bit. Link’s fingers slowly let go of Rhett’s shirt, and he drew a long shaky breath.

“It’s just so sad… He – “ Link’s sentence was cut short by a little hiccup that made Rhett’s heart melt and made him hold onto Link more tightly.

“He lost him. He just left and I – I just started thinking about… No, I – I’m sorry. It’s stupid,” Link muttered into Rhett’s chest.

Rhett moved his arms and with some gentle nudging managed to get his hand under Link’s jaw. Link’s face rose up, and their eyes met. He was a beautiful mess with a snotty nose and bloodshot eyes.

Still gorgeous. Always gorgeous.

“It’s not stupid if it affected you like this. Please, tell me,” Rhett pleaded. His heart was aching for his best friend. What on earth could have made him lose it like that?

Link’s hand rose slowly and settled onto Rhett’s cheek, fingers tangling into his overgrown beard. Rhett swallowed hard and tried not to show how flustered Link’s move made him.

“I just started thinking about you – leaving me,” Link whispered. His words came out unsteady and weak, and after he’d managed to get them out, he bit his lip and fought down another sob that wracked his body. Rhett stared at him, eyes wide, searching for some kind of sign that he hadn’t heard correctly.

“I would _never_ leave you. You hear me? This is it for me. Us. Don’t you know already? You’re my whole dang life, Link Neal.”

Link’s teeth released his lip and he whispered: “Not even if I do this?”

And then Rhett tasted more than just the salt on his lips. He tasted Link. The kiss was soft and hard at the same time; it was a punch to Rhett’s gut and soft breeze that threatened to keel him over. The kiss was a delicate thing, and Rhett wanted to live in it for the rest of his life, but too soon, Link backed away.

Rhett stared at him with fluttering eyelids and with his mouth opening and closing. He knew it was his time to say something, but he was completely frozen. Link tilted his head to the side and took in Rhett’s expression. His form visibly deflated.

“I’m sorry,” Link muttered, and his body slid away from Rhett’s embrace. “I shouldn’t have…”

Rhett caught his wrist at the last possible moment as he was getting up from the couch. He pulled Link back to his arms and launched into another kiss, deeper this time, a kiss of exploration and promise. He could feel Link’s smile against his lips, and then the salty taste of popcorn was mixed with the taste of his own tears.

They eventually parted to catch a breath, forehead pressed together as if moving any further from each other would be painful to bear.

“Never, and I mean _never_, apologize for kissing me,” Rhett sighed.

“Okay,” Link whispered. “I take it back. But only if you take me – to your bed.”

By all accounts it was a great night.


End file.
